


Only Child

by Masu_Trout



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Community: fandomweekly, Families of Choice, Family Fluff, Frisk Needs A Hug, Gen, Goat Mom Is Best Mom, Post-Pacifist Route, mentions of past neglect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 15:29:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6759586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masu_Trout/pseuds/Masu_Trout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The barrier is broken, the monsters are free, and Frisk still has one more secret that they want to share with their mother.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Child

It wasn't until they were out of Mt. Ebott and cresting the first sunlight-gilded hill that Frisk said, “I have siblings.”

The words came out so very quiet, spoken more into Toriel's fur than into the air, that at first she wasn't sure she'd heard them correctly. But when she looked down and saw the quiet, nervous expression on Frisk's face and the way they were clinging to the side of her tunic, she knew she couldn't have been wrong. Somewhere out here, under the wide-open sky, Frisk had a family. Or, at least, a few members of one.

“Okay,” she said in the most soothing tone she could manage, though inwardly she was panicking. Did siblings mean parents? Was there some human family out here already waiting to take Frisk back?

The thought was almost too painful to bear. She ruffled Frisk's mop of hair with one of her paws just to make sure they weren't about to disappear.

Te rest of the monsters—Alphys and Undyne, Asgore and Papyrus and Sans, dozens of others who walked or crawled or flew—were making their way towards town ahead of or behind her, just within her line of sight. They'd universally and simultaneously agreed to give her and Frisk some time to themselves. She'd been grateful for it, but now she almost wanted to call them back; even _Asgore's_ presence would be comforting at a time like this.

Frisk had waited until they were alone to tell her this, though. That had to mean something. She wasn't going to scare them by calling anyone else over.

“Do you think they're worried about you?” she asked instead.

Frisk shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe. I don't see them much.”

“Is that so?” Toriel asked. “Do they live far away, then?” Perhaps their parents were divorced—Toriel could certainly empathize with that. 

“Not really.” Frisk frowned. “Their parents just don't like me all that much, I think. I don't get to visit often.”

At that, Toriel couldn't help the scowl that stretched across her face or the low growl that slid from her throat. The thought of anyone disliking Frisk—the human, _her_ human, the child who'd shown kindness to them all—was disagreeable enough. The thought that their own parents might dare to be so cold was even more enraging.

“Wait,” Toriel said, “their parents? Not your parents?”

They nodded, looking unusually subdued. “There's three of us total. They're both a lot younger than me, so when our parents… went away”—a grim expression flashed across their face as they spoke—“a family came in and decided to adopt them. I was older, though, so they just weren't as interested in me. I've visited once or twice, but it's, um. Awkward.”

Frisk glanced up and cringed, apparently mistaking Toriel's look of revulsion for something directed at them, and hurriedly added, “It's pretty normal—a lot of parents want infants or toddlers to take in, because it's easier to get used to them being in the family—”

“Frisk,” Toriel interrupted, “please listen to me.”

They blinked, nodded, and clutched at Toriel a little more tightly.

“I'm sorry to hear that your siblings' parents are such _complete fools_ , but I am glad you didn't end up with them.” Toriel smiled, leaned down until she was practically bent in half, and pressed her muzzle against Frisk's tiny human nose. “If you had, I doubt we would have met you.”

Frisk burst into sudden laughter, rubbing their nose back against Toriel's fur in turn. “Thank you, Mom.” 

There was a little dampness in the corner of their eyes, but she decided not to mention it. Frisk was a very independent child, after all. No need to embarrass them.

“Do you think it will be a problem?” Toriel asked, a little more seriously. “Do they have any sort of legal claim to you?” 

It would be shameful for them to lay claim to a child they'd neglected for so long, but Toriel was no fool; Frisk was likely to become very famous with the re-emergence of the monsters. There were many who might try to influence her child.

“No, no!” Frisk shook their head. “No way—I doubt they'd want to even if they could. I just told you because…” They paused for a moment, looking up at Toriel. “Well, even if it didn't always go well, I _did_ get to meet my siblings' parents. I thought it would be nice if they could meet mine in return?”

They smiled up at Toriel, small and hopeful.

“Oh, my child,” she said, beaming down at them in return. It was all she could do not to scoop them up for another round of nose nuzzling. “I'd love to meet your siblings.”

Whether she'd even be allowed to—whether any of the monsters would be allowed freedom to mingle with humanity as they pleased—well, that was a question for later. Right now she had her child at her side, her people all around her, and soft sweet grass pressing against her feet as she walked.

It was more than enough.

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the fandomweekly community on Dreamwidth, which is a really cool space that I highly recommend. Thank you for reading!


End file.
